Alabama football captain confirms suspicions he'll miss significant time into next season
The Alabama Crimson Tide will need all hands-on deck for head coach Kalen DeBoer to bounce back from a disappointing 9-4 debut season. Losing quarterback Jalen Milroe and running back Justice Haynes stung, but the Tide are hoping the next generation of stars are aided by a strong defensive foundation headed by Deontae Lawson and […]
The Alabama Crimson Tide will need all hands-on deck for head coach Kalen DeBoer to bounce back from a disappointing 9-4 debut season. Losing quarterback Jalen Milroe and running back Justice Haynes stung, but the Tide are hoping the next generation of stars are aided by a strong defensive foundation headed by Deontae Lawson and LT Overton.
Unfortunately for the Tide, Lawson shared an update to his injury situation that will make some of that transition difficult. Lawson shared his season-ending lower-body injury suffered in November will keep him out until fall practices.
"It will be until fall camp, definitely," Lawson told the Crimson Tide Sports Network. "Yeah, it'll be until fall camp. I'll definitely try to stay around as much as I can, but yeah, before I'm active — probably fall camp."
Lawson made the decision earlier this month to skip the NFL draft for the second year in a row and will instead return for a fifth season at Alabama. He mentioned that his injury altered his initial intention to declare for the 2025 draft as he approached the 2024 season.
"I was planning on [the 2024 season] being it," he said. "I was going to lay it all out and see what happens. That's what I did, I feel like. It didn't go that way. It was definitely tough, definitely something that I think hit me in a different way. It really opened my eyes. I don't know — you never really know how much you miss the game, for real, and just like miss doing team activities and stuff until you're really not doing it.
I felt it before, but being out and just knowing you're out — for a minute, it really takes a toll on you. I really got closer to God. He's showing me a lot of different things — like, just my mindset, my habits. He's definitely moving in my life right now. I'm enjoying the ride, even though I'm not working out like I want to right now. But every day I'm attacking rehab like it's no tomorrow. I know I'll just be better from this."
After Lawson's injury last November, Justin Jefferson stepped in as the starter and is anticipated to be joined by Colorado transfer Nikhai Hill-Green at inside linebacker this spring.